1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the art of dishwashers and, more particularly, to a dishwasher dish support rack formed from plastic, including a plurality of tine elements having elastomeric bumpers for cushioning dishware placed on the dish support rack.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Most domestic dishwashers include two dish racks to support items to be washed such as dishware, glassware, kitchen utensils, pots pans and the like. Typically, the two dish racks include an upper dish rack positioned near a top portion of the dishwasher, and a lower dish rack arranged below the upper rack. The upper dish rack is used to support glassware, utensils and other small items, while the lower dish rack is used to support larger items, such as dinner plates and baking pans. The dish racks are typically formed from several, discrete, lengths of wire, welded together and then covered with a rubber or plastic coating. In some cases, the dish racks are formed with a plurality of vertically projecting tines that help support and organize the items placed on the dish rack.
Forming a dish rack from plastic in a minimal number of manufacturing steps, while still preserving the various attributes of wire coated racks, would provide significant advantages in workability, versatility of design and cost efficiency. To this end, there exists a need for a dishwasher dish support rack which is formed from plastic, while exhibiting elastomeric qualities to protect delicate dishes and the like.